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Skype's background blurring will hide your disgusting habits

Eww, no-one needs to see that

IF YOU'RE the sort of person whose kids decide to visit you in your office when you're trying to talk to the BBC, then Microsoft has great news for you.

The firm's Skype video calling app has added a new 'background blur' feature, which will make sure that no matter how cute they look in their little stroller, they won't appear on camera, making you a meme till the end of days.

For those of us who aren't experts on North Korea, the feature could still be a godsend if you're about to take a group conference call from your office and there's laundry hanging all over it.

Microsoft itself points out that it means you won't have to wipe your whiteboard if its got sensitive information on it when you're about to speak to a potential investor.

The feature first appeared in Microsoft Teams, but is now available more widely and uses a simple key toggle, right-click or menu click to bring in the AI-powered fuzz.

The AI also recognises hair, hands and arms, so your image will remain pristine - though Microsoft does disclaim that it will "do its best", but that there are no lead-tight guarantees attached to the feature.

Background blur is available now on most desktops and laptops running the latest version of Skype.

Said release is Skype version 8, the first to exclusively use the Universal Windows (tiled) standard at the expense of the more feature-rich desktop version, though Microsoft has confirmed that it will be adding more familiar features to the new edition.

Along with many users, we've not been too impressed with Skype UWP so far, but we're hoping that by letting go of Skype Classic after previously extending its lifespan, that Microsoft is signalling that it's once again fit for purpose.

Now, get your wife to grab your small children and crawl backwards out of the room. Shut the door behind you. μ